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(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. M. SUTHERLAND, GAS MAKING APPARATUS.

No. 466,283. Patented Dec.-29, 1891.

WITNESSES [/VVEJV'Z 02? (No Model.) A 2 sheets -sheetl 2.

A. M. SUTHEJRLAND. GAS MAKING APPARATUS.

No. 466,283. Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

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A v WITNESSES m mwzofl ans cm, Pnoro-r.nuo., WASNINOTON, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER M. SUTHERLAND, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

GAS-MAKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,283, dated December29, 1891. Application filed August 9, 1889. SerialNo. 320,291. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. SUTHER- LAND, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, and a resident of New York, county of New York, and Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas-MakingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of gas.

The object of the invention is to produce an apparatus applicable toexisting coal-gas arches, by which what is commonly called water-gas canbe made and enriched with gas madefrom crude petroleum of any grade orother low-priced hydrocarbons in one complete bench heated by one fire;and the invention consists in the combination and arrangemen ts of theparts, substantially as hereinafter disclosed, and pointed out in theclaims.

I have illustrated the invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in 'which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bench constructed in accordance withmy invention, and Fig. 2 is a View showing the bench with the front wallinlet and outlet pipes, the, removed.

In the drawings, A A represent retorts designed for the reception intheir upper portion of mixed oil and steam, which mixture is passedthrough the pipes of the retort in such manner as to cause it to come incontact with the greatestpossible amount of fixing or heating surface,this fixing or heating surface being preferably after the design of theretort shown in the application for patent filed August 9, 1889, SerialNo. 320,290, or of any other suitable form to be kept at a comparativelylow temperature, and the mixture of oil and steam being thrown againstthe inner faces by means of spiral ribs or similar devices.

The oil is introduced through the pipes a and the steam through thepipes b, the steampipes 17 being each provided with branch pipes 0,leading to tubes cl, one passing from the front of each retortA to therear thereof and thence back to the front, where they communicate withthe pipes 6, each leading to the bottom of one of the retorts B,arranged near the bottom of the bench.

The retorts B consist of the chambers 13 for containing incandescentcarbon, the bottom of each chamber being perforated for the purpose ofallowing the ready passage through the carbon of the steam superheatedin the retorts A. I

The combined steam and oil, after becom ing thoroughly commingled andvaporized in the upper portion of the retorts A, is carried through thepipes E to a commingling and fixing retort F, and the superheated steamafter becoming decomposed is also carried through suitable pipes G tothis retort.

The construction of the commingling-retort is such that the contents ofthe pipes E and Gare conducted through one or more pipes or conduits tothe rear of the retorts into a mixing-chamber and from this chamber tothefront of the retort, preferablythrough a larger number of pipes thanare employed to convey the gas to the rear of the retorts, in order toeffect the thorough fixing of the gas, and thence through a stand-pipeto a suitable place of storage.

It is well known that a much greater heat is required to maintain carbonin a state of incandescence than could be applied to hydro carbons whileconverting them into a gas, the reason being that a degree of heatrequired for the first-mentioned purpose would, if applied tohydrocarbons, result in carbonizing or burning a large portion thereof.

In order-to utilize the heat of one fire-chamber in my apparatus,lprovide the dividing floor or diaphragm H, having therein .a series ofopenings to be closed by dampers capable of being opened and closed atwill. This floor is located just-above the retorts B B, so that bymanipulating the dampers in the dividing-floor the desired amount ofheat may be admitted to the upper retorts, while that impinging upon thelower ones may be raised to any desired degree.

From the foregoing it will be clear that a continuous process ofmanufacturing a fixed combined oil and water gas may be carried on withvery little manipulation of the apparatus.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for the manu'facture'of gas, the combination of afixing-retort, retorts having in their upper portions flues for oil andsteam, and oil and steam supply pipes leading to said latter retorts andin their lower portions fines for steam,retorts 13, having perforatedbottoms and adapted to contain incandescent carbon, and steam-pipesleading from the lower portions of the first-named retorts and from theretorts B to the fixing-retort F, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for carrying on a continnous process ofmakingacombined oil and water gas, the combination of a fixing-retort F,the retorts A, having in their upper and lower portions, respectively,fines for oil and steam and for steam, and oil and steam sup ply pipesleading to the retorts A, the retorts B, having perforated bottoms andadapted to contain incandescent carbon, the superheat- 1ng steam-pipesleading from the lower portions of the retorts A to the retorts l3, and

' pipes leading from the retorts A and 13 to the ALEXANDER M. SU lXERLAND.

Witnesses:

R. G. DYRENFORTH,

DAVID Ii. l\'IEAD.

